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Information for Professionals
The Single Assessment Process, known as SAP, is part of standard two of the National Service Framework (NSF) for Older People (those aged 65 or more) - Department of Health 2001
Many older people have health and social care needs. SAP aims to help health and social care professionals to work together with older people so that assessment and subsequent care planning are effective and well coordinated. It is hoped that by working together and sharing information electronically (with the older person’s consent) professionals will save time for both themselves and older people by not duplicating assessments.
What does SAP aim to achieve?
Effective person centred outcomes
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Professionals working together resulting in a better assessment experience for the older person
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Reduced emergency admissions to hospital
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Improved health promotion and prevention
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A reduction in the number of older people entering long term care
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Better standards in the care of older people
Why electronic SAP & MDS-HC?
Sharing paper copies of assessments between colleagues is potentially a nightmare. It is slow, involving a lot of photocopying and sending of documents through the post. The potential benefits of SAP are lost in a paper trail. However, by sharing assessment data electronically and using a standardised assessment tool (MDS-HC, Minimum Data Set, Home Care) SAP becomes a reality with professional staff being able to contribute to a single assessment which can be shared with colleagues in minutes.
During 2006/07 electronic SAP & MDS-HC will be rolled out to 1000 health and social care staff working in Cheshire.
Who will be involved in SAP?
Community Health Services e.g. District Nurses, Podiatrists, OTs, Physiotherapists
SAP is based on nine domains. There are three types of assessment which can be undertaken using MDS-HC which are not necessarily sequential:
Contact Assessment: This is carried out when the older person first comes into contact with one of the services involved in SAP. Basic information, such as, name; address; next of kin; GP name and carers details, etc, is collected. By asking seven predetermined key questions, the nature of the presenting problem is established and the potential for wider health and social care needs explored.
Overview Assessment: This assessment incorporates additional information such as previous medical history and social care needs. This assessment will explore all or some of the domains, building a more holistic picture of the older person. This will help us understand the range of problems and identify the services that may be needed.
Comprehensive Assessment: This level of assessment is required for all older people where the level of support and treatment, likely to be offered, is intensive and complex (including permanent admission to a care home, intermediate care facilities, or intensive packages of care at home). Care planning will incorporate every aspect of the older person’s health and social care needs. It may also include housing and voluntary services.
As a result of undertaking any of the above assessments it may be decided that a specialist, more in-depth, assessment is required. This could include input from a nurse, continence advisor, therapist or social worker and the resulting assessment can be ‘attached’ to the MDS-HC assessment.
A District Nurse; Social Worker; Occupational Therapist, or any other professional who has received training, can undertake an assessment.
In situations where the older person’s needs are complex and require the input of several professionals and / or agencies, one professional should be nominated as the “Assessment Co-ordinator”. Where the older person’s needs are predominantly health, a health worker should co-ordinate the assessment. Where social care needs are to the fore, a Social Worker or Social Care Assessor will act; where mobility predominates, a therapist will lead. This is not, however, a cast iron rule - there needs to be flexibility according to the older person’s best interests.
Cheshire has an Information Sharing Toolkit procedure that should be followed. Unless impractical, the older person should be asked for their consent to share identifiable information. Ask your manager for a copy of the Information Sharing Toolkit documents.
Want to find out more?
Contact:
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Cheshire East Council /
Cheshire West and Chester Council
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Kate Bebe, SAP County Operational Project Manager, Floor 3, Goldsmith House, Hamilton Place, Chester, CH1 1SE
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| West Cheshire Health |
Rachel Townsend, SAP Project Lead, Floor 3, Goldsmith House, Hamilton Place, Chester, CH1 1SE
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Central and Eastern Cheshire Health |
Fran Jackson, SAP Project Lead, Floor 2, 32 Park Green, Macclesfield, SK11 7NA
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Further contacts can be found in Tier 3 Operational Instruction, section 13 and Schedule 1 of the Information Sharing Toolkit.
Contact your local Expert Users – information available on the CSAP webpage; your SAP training pack or see contacts published in your local agencies. We are here to help!
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